Bass Pro Shops, the real way they feel about you.

[seabass]

Not sure if this is the right forum, but thought all should hear this...My son has worked his tail off saving for a penn torque 30ld, he has been researching and dreaming about this reel for several months, this morning i took him to Bass Pro so he could purchase it. I asked him if he had shopped around, and he said he had and the best price he could find was at Red Top, but they where out of stock and he wanted it for a trip to Jeffries on Sunday, he printed the ad from Red Top and brought it to Bass Pro who advertise that they price match. He went to the reel counter and asked to see the reel and then asked the salesman if they would match the Red Top price, he called the manager and then informed my son that Red Top is not a " competitor", I stood back in the shadows observing this. Then he told my son that Red Top and other such "bait shops" sell reconditioned reels as new, and therefor they can't honor their ads. At this point I had to get involved, I asked the saleman who their competion is, He told me #^&#^&#^&#^&'s and Cabellas are the only Ads they will match, but not close outs or sale items. I asked the salesman what facts he had that they sell "reconditioned as new" and he started talking in circles...I then cut up my rewards card and left with my son, I called down to Red Top and asked if they had the reel, The man said they did on a matching rod with 400 yds of 100# power pro for still less then the Bass Pro reel alone! We drove straight down and he made his purchase. I would like to thank the fine people in our local shops, and thank Bass Pro for making it clear that my buisness means nothing to them. Next time you purchase fishing gear, think of where the hard earned money is going to end up, lesson learned for my son and I.

[JohnR]

[Nebe]

Screw BPS... Support your local shops !!!
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[Clammer]

SWEET ...........

[Poncho]

Stopped going there after 6 out of twelve arrows I had cut and knocked were either to long or knocks were not lined up the way I wanted them. And not to mention the education I got from the 18 year old kid on how most people don't hunt or set up equipment correctly
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[Finaddict]

Can't go wrong by going local ... they are always the best ...

[likwid]

Originally Posted by Poncho

Stopped going there after 6 out of twelve arrows I had cut and knocked were either to long or knocks were not lined up the way I wanted them. And not to mention the education I got from the 18 year old kid on how most people don't hunt or set up equipment correctly
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They also won't let you spin em before they cut em to make sure they're all true.

[afterhours]

support local businesses! F$%$# the biggies that are directly responsible for putting mom and pop out of business.

[chefchris401]

glad you decided to go local.

I try and buy as much of my gear from local shops, the edge, lucky bait, m and ds, etc. and they help keep the lights on here.

last time i was there was looking a penn torque 5 bailless and the guy behind the counter had zero clue about it and was telling me that the one i was looking at was defective cuase it was missing the bail and went to check the box for it. i just told him to forget it and walked away as fast as possible.

[Raven]

musta felt good

[SurfCaster413]

Support the local shops. Rather give my money to them then some big corp!!!

[mikey99]

Only time I shop at bps is when I get a gift card
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[blondterror]

Thanks for sharing this... the comraderie and local knowledge you get in a local shop cannot be beat...

[Swimmer]

The only thing I ever bought at Bass Pro was clothes on sale at the end of the season.

[Liv2Fish]

Can you go to BPS and ask "is it true what I heard about x location"? Local shops provide a lot more than just what you purchase, if you show some loyalty and get to know them. I have learned a ton over the years just from shooting the chit while a spool was being filled or stopping in during the off season.

I hit BPS when it first opened and their prices aren't any cheaper than local shops for most items. Sluggos and Hogeys were cheaper at Mikes and RT.

I hate the fact that BPS now sells Van Staal.....

[lamigsb1]

large shops like this pay someone to read forums, blogs and other social media outlets. I'm sure an ass or 2 has already been chewed.

[robc22]

It's nice to see so many angler's support the local shops......

[Sgt Striper]

Thank you for contacting basspro.com. Your business is truly appreciated. Thank you for letting us know of the situation. The information is being forwarded on to the correct department.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve you. We greatly value your business.

Best regards,
Chuck
Bass Pro Shops
2500 E Kearney
Springfield, MO 65898
1-800-BASS-PRO

[WoodyCT]

Shop local and keep the $ in your own community.

*#%¥*{%^€< the big boxes and Sam Walton's of the world. They don't care about us, but our neighbors do.
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[ThrowingTimber]

I got a gift card for that place in march and I cant for the life of me buy anything with it Maybe I'll just have a bunch of hooks delivered??

[TheSpecialist]

Walpole Firefighters Assist Knock Down of 2-Alarm Fire at Patriot Place Saturday Night - Walpole, MA Patch

[seabass]

One word.....Karma.....i have an air tight alibie, besides i wouldn't waste the gas driving to that place again!

[GregW]

I actually used to enjoy the place. I was big into freshwater fishing before I got into salt. And I've always fished hard and had lots of gear. For freshwater fishing it was hard to beat, because they had a ton of selection. Then I met the stupidity of their staff and took my business elsewhere.

I went in there one day and had a ton of stuff to purchase, and was trying to get an additional item not in stock. The sales associate was pretty rude and condescending, and then I ran into another strike against the place and left my stuff there. Long story short, and they have a military discount that applies almost every day in person, but only a few days online or something like that. I can't remember the exact details of it, but part of my order would get the discount and part wouldn't unless I came back at the beginning of the month. I tried explaining that I was on leave from Iraq and wouldn't be around then, and I would purchase it in person right then if they had the item there. They wouldn't give me the discount so I left and haven't looked back. I hope that was just that one retarded sales associate, but I didn't need the drama when I had only two weeks in the U.S.

I had always meant to give the place a try again, but it seems like nothing has changed. Hopefully they do read the boards and correct the problems they have.

[Raider Ronnie]

My wife's niece is getting married next weekend to a guy who works there 2 nights a week as a 2nd job and for the employee discount.
I've taken advantage of the discount a bunch of times & the place is 3-4 miles from my house

[N.ShoreFisher]

I had a guy acting really condesending to me when I mentioned that I used Okuma reels(it's all that I could afford at the time) and told me that they were crap, then sold my friend an overpriced Penn. He didn't get a bunch of the features that he wanted, because the guy was too busy telling us what we needed, not what we wanted.

[bart]

The guy behind the reel counter told me that my 706 wasn't a surf reel

[Nebe]

Originally Posted by bart

The guy behind the reel counter told me that my 706 wasn't a surf reel

LMAO!!!!!!!
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[big jay]

No one @ Bass Pro will ever even know your name.

Bruce @ Canal starts getting my stuff when I walk in before I even say hi b/c he already knows what I need.
If I want a new rod, Eric @ cms has my wrap colors in the stack, and makes sure its exactly what I need (and he can actually spell my last name).
And the Edge is the clubhouse - they go more than the extra mile.

That doesn't happen at the big box - after you see the fish tank, there's not much else.
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[Liv2Fish]

Originally Posted by GregW

I hope that was just that one retarded sales associate, but I didn't need the drama when I had only two weeks in the U.S.

I thought I had the fishing bug bad. Only two weeks home from Iraq and fishing is on your mind....Awesome. Thanks for what you do for all of us.

[Rockfish9]

I have made two major purchases at BPS.... both were nothing but trouble... the first... a Jiffy power Auger... they were the only ones with one in stock and the lead time for everyone else would have had me buying one late into the season.. it was the last of the Techumseh engines, and the first of the Pro STX series...one that I felt was desirable because the next genration was going to be more plastic than metal.. and I have repair parts for Techumeseh engines in stock and a sorce to get more..... I bought it because i wanted something lighter than my old ( HEAVY) 3hp Jiffy.. well it was trouble right form the start... the bracket holding the fuel tank was broken..BPS told they are not a service center and I would have to go to one to get another tank...I took a fuel tank off of an old roto tiller ( same engine) and installed it( myself) while I waited for the dealer to get me a new one( 6 months).. I could have paid the $26 on line and had it in less than two weeks.... then there were the performance issues...the first day out it was near impossible to start.. ..latter that day the carb. fell off...I blamed most of these issues on the product being the last of it's kind and Jiffy making changes.. and just oddities of life..in the end.. I ended up replacing the carb and reed valves myself... to this day I swear it was a returned demo...BTW.. it runs great now...

a year latter.... I bought a minn kota 50lb thrust salt water trolling motor from BPS.. once again in a bind because my current one had expired after 5 years of hard use and no one local had one in stock.. I could have bought another fresh water edition, but figured this would be the last one I would ever buy... three weeks into the season it stopped working.... knowing bass pro's policies.. I took it to the nearest dealer ( a 40 minute drive) .. he asked what was wrong... i told him... he looked at it on the spot... then asked me it I had taken it appart.. I replied that I hadn't , as I had purchased exteneded warrenty and at this time it was still under the original warrenty.. .. he then asked where I had bought it ... when I told him.. he laughed and replied I'm not surprised then.. I guess it was missing shims on the armature.. and the slop had prematurly worn the seal .. salt water ate everything... he replace everything free of charge and advised me to go anywhere but BPS to make any future purchases....I haven't been back to BPS since!.... for the record it was never right afterwards( I have used Minn kotta since the early 80's.. no complaints) I had other minor issues with that trolling motor that I wont get into... the start of the next season.. I dropped the throttle to head to a new spot... heard a loud thump.. and well... lets say the bad ju-ju of that trolling motor lies in 30' of water off of great boars head.. I have come to believe that BPS buy's defective/rebuilt product and are the ones passing them off as new..I have no proof.. but it sure appears it to me..

On a simular note.. I know some of you dislike West marine.. but they will match anyones price.. even internet deals...I use them mainly because they are the easiest for me.. I work three doors down from them...